President's Updates

I am pleased to announce the appointment of two new endowed professors in the School of Law. Brad Joondeph was named the Inez Mabie Professor and Stephanie Wildman was appointed the John A. and Elizabeth H. Sutro Professor. Endowed professorships are awarded to faculty members who have distinguished themselves as teaching scholars and embody the qualities of creative scholarship, collegiality and collaboration, and incorporation of intellectual foundations for ethics and justice. Designed to help recruit and retain gifted faculty who are leading scholars in their disciplines, our endowed professors strengthen not only the academic programs in which they teach but also the University as a whole. Congratulations to Professors Joondeph and Wildman for their achievements!

In keeping with our commitment to service and social justice, I am pleased that once again Santa Clara University was named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

This special recognition honors schools that excel in “placing students on a lifelong path of civic engagement by engaging them in meaningful service that achieves measurable results in the community.” Completing over 133,000 hours of service, our students accompanied neighbors in impoverished areas of the U.S. and Latin America, engaged in service-learning projects with local community partners, advocated for positive change on campus and elsewhere, and took part in other programs that reinforce our commitment to communities near and far. It is through opportunities with Arrupe Partnerships, SCCAP, the Experiential Learning for Social Justice component in the core and other programs that our students gain perspective, are moved by compassion, use their skills in meaningful ways, and ultimately become leaders to change our world. We can take pride in the recognition we have received, knowing that service reaches beyond the press releases and rankings, for the benefit of the greater good.

I would like personally to invite you to participate in the University’s 2nd Annual Community Day of Service on Saturday, April 13. Service to others is a long-held tradition at Santa Clara and has become an integral part of our commitment to social justice. To sign up, visit the website.

Some of this year’s volunteer opportunities are located in the greater Washington/Alma area of San Jose, where the University is actively working towards a place-based initiative with community partners there. Hundreds of our students are already working with agencies and schools in the area through our Arrupe Weekly Engagement Program, Santa Clara Community Action Program (SCCAP), Bronco Urban Garden (BUG), and other efforts. The Community Day of Service is one way that staff and faculty can engage with partner organizations and hopefully build our relationship of mutual service and accompaniment. To learn more about the Community Day of Service or to sign up as a volunteer, visit the Day of Service website.

Along with Jesuits and colleagues around the world, we celebrate the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis. As a man committed to social justice, he shares the ideals of our own institution. Below you will find the statement of the President of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.

On Tuesday, March 19, at noon, the University community will celebrate our annual Founder's Day Mass to commemorate the establishment of our school. That is the date of the installation of the pope, so we shall be offering special prayers for his leadership. All are invited to join in this liturgy.